How to Master the Triceps Push-Up (2024)

When someone tells you to drop and give them 20, your first instinct might be to hit the floor for classic push-ups—or swiftly decline. But you could also reasonably opt to complete your go-to form of push-ups, whether that means performing the exercise from your knees or grasping onto dumbbells to avoid wrist pain. Or, you could go with triceps push-ups, one of the most popular push-up variations for good reason.

“The triceps comprise 60 to 70 percent of your upper arm, so maintaining triceps strength is extremely important,” says Todd Buckingham, lead exercise physiologist at the Mary Free Bed Sports Rehabilitation Hospital Performance Lab. While all push-ups engage your triceps, chest, shoulders, and core, regular push-ups mainly hit your chest and shoulder muscles. Triceps push-ups move the focus to—you guessed it—your triceps.

All of this is to say that triceps push-ups are worth adding to your routine, especially if you’re neglecting to strengthen your triceps through other exercises. With that, here are the details on the benefits of triceps push-ups, how to modify the exercise, and the best way to slot them into your workout regimen.

How Are Triceps Push-Ups Different Than Regular Push-Ups?

Again, the main distinction between regular push-ups and triceps push-ups is that the latter emphasizes your triceps muscles.

If you need a refresher, your triceps are located at the back of your upper arms. They’re made up of three parts, referred to as the long, medial, and lateral heads. “[Triceps push-ups] primarily target the long head of the tricep brachii muscle, but they engage all three parts of the triceps,” says Peloton instructor Selena Samuela.

On the surface, triceps push-ups don’t look that different from standard s. To emphasize your triceps during a triceps , you keep your upper arms and elbows tight to your body throughout the movement, rather than perpendicular to your torso. Hand positioning is also key since during a triceps your fingers will be facing forward

The subtle adjustment results in a more challenging exercise. “Triceps push-ups are more difficult than regular push-ups because the triceps are much smaller muscles than the pectorals, the main muscle group involved when doing a normal pushup,” explains Buckingham.

The Benefits of Doing Triceps Push-Ups

Maintaining triceps strength is worthwhile, no matter your fitness goals and preferences. They allow you to extend at your elbows (i.e., straighten your arms) which is an important maneuver in sports like basketball, baseball, and softball, says Buckingham. “And then you have activities of daily living such as grabbing a glass or plate out of the cupboard, brushing your teeth, or tying your shoes,” he says. “The triceps have a role in almost every activity that we do with our upper body.”

Even better, the benefits of triceps push-ups go beyond increasing triceps strength. The movement also improves core stability and balance as well as shoulder stability, says Selena.

How to Do a Triceps Push-up With Proper Form

If you’ve already mastered regular push-ups, you’re well on your way to perfecting the triceps . When you’re ready to give it a try, here’s how to execute the movement:

1. Start on all fours with your hands shoulder-width apart, hands directly under shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Step backward onto the balls of both feet to assume a high plank position.

2. Keeping your core engaged and your elbows in tight to your body, bend at your elbows, allowing your chest to descend toward the ground. “As you lower yourself down towards the ground, keep your elbows close to your body so that your arms are flush against your body—essentially you're touching your arms the entire movement and your elbows point back rather than out during the push-up,” Selena says.

3. Push through your hands to straighten your arms, returning to a high plank position. Maintain alignment and tension the entire way up, while avoiding arching your back or letting your hips sag throughout the movement, Selena adds.

Triceps Push-Up Variations

If you can’t swing triceps push-ups, you can build up to the exercise by performing modified versions of the move. For example, you can prop your arms off the ground when setting up for the exercise, and the higher your incline, the easier the exercise will be, according to Buckingham. Here’s his step-by-step breakdown of how to progress to a triceps using this approach:

1. Do the push-ups against a wall rather than placing your hands on the ground.

2. When that becomes easy, perform the exercise with your hands on a bench, chair, etc.

3. Finally, place your hands on the ground for a regular triceps push-up.

At the other end of the spectrum, it’s possible to make triceps push-ups even harder if you’re ready for a challenge. Performing triceps push-ups with your hands on the ground and your feet elevated on a bench or chair makes the exercise more difficult, says Buckingham.

Other progressions of triceps push-ups include diamond push-ups (i.e., push-ups where your hands form a diamond shape on the ground) and plyometric push-ups (wherein you explosively ascend, allowing your hands to leave the ground), says Selena.

How to Add Triceps Push-Ups to Your Workout Routine

The best approach to incorporating triceps push-ups into your routine will depend on your individual goals, fitness level, and workout schedule. That said, here are some general suggestions, courtesy of Buckingham:

• If your goal is muscular endurance, perform two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between sets.

• If your goal is muscular hypertrophy (building muscle), perform three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps with 60 to 90 seconds of rest in between sets.

• If your goal is muscular strength, perform four to five sets of six to eight reps with your hands on the ground and feet on a bench or in a normal push-up position but with a weighted vest or weight on your back, with two to three minutes of rest in between sets.

• If your goal is muscular power, perform four to five sets of four to six explosive reps pushing your hands off the ground while keeping your body straight, with two to three minutes of rest between sets.